Filter plug offset

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed to continuously offsetting axially aligned double length filter plugs for cigarette making machines where rows of axially aligned double length filter plugs that are to be offset, are fed into discrete interspaced flutes of a rotary drum. The drum is provided with a number of peripheral longitudinal flutes, angularly and uniformly interspaced along the entire periphery of the drum such that two consecutive rows fed to the drum are caused to occupy two flutes of the drum which are interspaced between each other by as many flute pitches as the number of filter lengths within a row. All the filter lengths of a row minus one are transferred in an orderly manner to different empty flutes of the drum which rotates continuously such that, after the transfer, all of the filter lengths of each row are displaced or offset such that each filter length occupies a distinctive flute of the drum.

United States Patent 1191 Giatti [30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 15, 1969 Italy ..7170 A/69 [52] US. Cl. ..83/102, 83/110, 83/154, 83/156, 83/411 198/32 [51] Int. Cl. ..B26d 7/06, B4lj 7/14 [58] Field of Search ..83/102, 107, 110, 154, 156, 83/161, 411; 198/32; 131/25 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Rudszinat ..198/32 Schubert ..83/102 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 971,154 9/1964 Great Britain 1 1 Jan. 23, 1973 Primary ExaminerFrank T. Yost Assistant ExaminerLeon Gilden Attorney-George W. Price and Eli Weiss [57] ABSTRACT This invention is directed to continuously offsetting axially aligned double length filter plugs for cigarette making machines where rows of axially aligned double length filter plugs that are to be offset, are fed into discrete interspaced flutes of a rotary drum. The drum is provided with a number of peripheral longitudinal flutes, angularly and uniformly interspaced along the entire periphery of the drum such that two consecutive rows fed to the drum are caused to occupy two flutes of the drum which are interspaced between each other by as many flute pitches as the number of filter lengths within a row. All the filter lengths of a row minus one are transferred in an orderly manner to different empty flutes of the drum which rotates continuously such that, after the transfer, all of the filter lengths of each row are displacedor offset such that each filter length occupies a distinctive flute of the drum.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmzs 1975 3.712162 SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENTOR. FILIPPO G IATTI {CL/M ATTORNEY PATENTEDJAN 23 I975 SHEEI 2 BF 3 ATTORNEY PATENTEUJAN 23 m5 SHEET 3 OF 3 INVESTOR. FILIPPO GIATTI ATTORNEY FILTER PLUG OFFSET This invention relates generally to cigarette filter tipping systems, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for feeding a cigarette filter plug having a length that is twice as long as the one fitted to the finished cigarette in between and abutted against a pair of axially aligned cigarettes. A preglued connecting band is thereafter rolled around the two cigarettes and the filter plug and, the assembly so obtained is separated into two filter tip cigarettes by means of a transversal cut made through the center of the double length filter plug. Generally, the double length filter plugs are obtained by subdividing or cutting a filter rod whose length is multiple of that of the double length filter plug that is to be associated to each pair of cigarettes into a plurality of parts of equal length. The rods are cut to double length filter plugs while they are positioned within longitudinal peripheral flutes of a drum, called a out drum. The double length filter plugs thus obtained are axially aligned and substantially contiguous.

After each rod is cut, there arises the problem of offsetting the single axially aligned double length filter plugs thus obtained to permit them to be fed individually one after the other to the next occurring device.

Various devices have been proposed for the solution of this problem. However, at high speed outputs many problems arise. For example, devices provided with differential speed transfer elements to offset the single double-length filter plugs present some inconveniences during the pick-up of the plurality of axially aligned double length filter plugs supplied by the cut drum and also during the transfer of the single offset double length filter plugs to the following machine utilizing the device. This invention is aimed at obviating these and other inconveniences of the transfer devices.

In this invention, there is proposed a method for continuously offsetting axially aligned rod-like articles such as double length filter plugs for cigarette making machines wherein the rows of axially aligned double length filter plugs that are to be offset are fed into determined interspaced flutes of a rotary drum. The drum is provided with a number of longitudinal flutes, angularly and uniformly interspaced along the entire periphery of the drum such that two consecutive rows fed to the drum are caused to occupy two flutes of the drum which are interspaced between each other by as many flute pitches as the number of filter lengths constituting a row. All the filter lengths ofa row minus one are thus transferred in an orderly manner in different empty flutes of the drum which continue to rotate such that, after this transfer, all the filter lengths of a row will be displaced or offset in such a manner that each of them will occupy a distinctive flute of the drum.

In one embodiment, the fluted drum can be a drum which the filter lengths are formed by cutting a single filter rod transversely. In this embodiment, the method consists of feeding the filter rods into the drum flutes at the rate of one rod every n flutes, wherein nrepresents the number of parts or lengths into which the rod is to be subdivided, subdividing the rod into n.double length filter plugs on the drum, picking up from each flute n-l double length filter plugs, inserting them in n-l free and distinct flutes and bringing them back preferably upstream in relation to the direction of rotation of the drum, at the rate of one double length filter plug for each available flute.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of a continuous offsetting device in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view ofa portion of the periphery of the structure of FIG. 1 in the area of offset of the filter lengths; and

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of another embodiment of the structure in accordance with the principles of the invention.

With reference to the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates a rotary drum, having on its periphery a plurality of longitudinal flutes or grooves, uniformly interspaced, and having a constant pitch, around the axis of rotation of the drum.

The drum is rotatably driven in the direction of the arrow by any suitable means, not illustrated. The drum (see FIG. 2) consists of three elements, central element 3, provided with four fluted peripheral rings 103, 203, 303, and 403 wherein the flutes are aligned and angularly equispaced, and two side elements 4, 5, which are adjacent to element 3 on opposite sides of it and have the shape of a cylindrical box. Each of the three elements 3, 4 and 5 are keyed to the actuating shaft 2 and each is provided with a fluted peripheral ring. Ring 4 supports flutes I04, ring 5 supports flutes 105, and ring 3 supports flutes 103, 403. The flutes of the various rings are aligned with each other. Side elements 4 and 5 are axially spaced from central element 3 to allow the arms 6 and 7 to pass therebetween. The arms 6, 7 are attached, at one of their intermediate points, to shaft 2 by means of their respective pairs of bearings 106, 107 and are fastened at one end to a common adjusting rod 167, while, at the other end the arms 6, 7 rotatably support fluted discs 8 and 9.

The discs 8 and 9 are driven by shaft 2 through the train of gears 10, ll, 12 and 13, 14, 15 whose drive ratios are such that the peripheral speeds of said discs and of drum 1 are equal.

The flutes of discs 8 and 9 are angularly equispaced between each other and their pitch is equal to that of the flutes of drum 1. Discs 8 and 9 are free to rotate parallel to each other about shaft 2 and each protrudes, in part, beyond the peripheral surface of composite drum 1.

' The diameter of disc 9 is such that its flutes are aligned with those of the drum 1 in positions A and B, as illustrated in FIG. 1, thus satisfying the condition that the pitch of disc 9 in arc AB exceeds by two units the pitch of disc 1 in the same are AB. The diameter of disc 8 is such that its flutes are aligned with those of drum 1 in positions C and D, as illustrated in FIG. 1, thus satisfying the condition that the pitch of disc 8 in arc CD exceeds by one unit the pitch of drum 1 in the same arc CD.

Six length filter rods F are fed into the flutes of drum 1, for example, by means of a fluted transfer roller 18 (see FIG. 4) at the rate of one rod F for each three flutes of drum 1. During its stay in the flute of drum 1, the rod is subdivided into three lengths F1, F2, F3 by a cutter comprising a pair of parallel positioned rotary circular blades 16, 17. Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a rod F being cut to form three double length filter plugs F1, F2, F3.

Still referring to FIG. 1 at mating point A of the flutes of drum 1 and the flutes of disc 9, the filter plug length F3 is transferred into a flute of disc 9 and, as the path of filter plug length F3 on disc 9 is two flute pitches longer than that which the filter plug length would have followed if it had remained in the flute of drum 1, itis evident that disc 9 will deliver filter plug length F3 to drum 1, at mating point B, in the second empty flute upstream of or behind that flute which the filter plug length first occupied and which is occupied by the intermediate plug length F2.

In a similar manner, at mating point C, filter plug length F1 is picked up by a flute of disc 8 and, as the path of the filter. plug length F1 on disc 8 is one pitch longer than that which the filter plug length Fl would have followed if it had remained in the flute of drum 1, it is obvious that disc 8 will deliver the filter plug length F1 to disc 1, at position D, in the first empty flute upstream of or behind the flute which the filter plug length first occupied. In this manner, filter plugs F1, F2, F3 which, at the time of being cut were lying in a single axially aligned flute of drum 1, are now offset and occupy three consecutive flutes with a single filter plug located in each of the flutes.

The filter plug lengths so offset are subsequently delivered by drum 1 to a fluted transfer drum 19 where they are laterally aligned in a single row.

in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, discs 8 and 9 rotate in the same direction as the drum 1, and, as specified above, they transfer the filter plug lengths F1, F3 into the two empty flutes immediately upstream of the flute which originally accommodated the three aligned filter plug lengths.

FIG. 4 illustrates schematically another embodiment of structure in accordance with the principles of the invention. Referring to FlG. 4, fluted drums 108 and 109 which functionally correspond respectively to discs 8 and 9 of FIG. 1 are rotatably driven in a direction opposite to that of drum 1 which receives in each third occurring flute a six length filter rod F from drum 18. The rod is subdivided into three lengths F1, F2, F3 by rotary circular blades 16 and 17. Drum 109 picks up from drum 1 filter length F3 and re-delivers it to the fifth flute behind or upstream of the flute originally occuped by filter length F3.

Fluted drum 108 picks up from drum 1 filter plug length Fl with a one-pitch delay and re-delivers it to the fourth flute behind or upstream of the flute originally occupied by filter F1.

The structure of the embodiment of FIG. 4 requires the use of pneumatic means for holding the filter plug lengths F1 and F3 in the flutes of drums l, 108, 109 and 19. It is here noted that in this embodiment, the filter plug lengths are not transferred into the two empty flutes immediately behind or upstream of the flute originally containing the three aligned filter plug lengths, but the filtenplug lengths are transferred to the two empty flutes posi loned immediately behind or upstream of the flute containing the next occurring three aligned filter plug lengths. The term upstream as used in this specification relates to the direction of rotation of drum 1 and refers to a point or flute on the drum which is positioned back from a given point on the drum opposite to the direction of rotation of the drum.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teaching. It is, therefore, to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for arranging groups of axially aligned elements, which comprises:

a drum having a plurality of flutes spaced equally around the periphery thereof and two slots in the periphery thereof,

means for feeding multi-length elements to every third flute of said drum,

means for tri-secting said multi-length element,

a first fluted disk mounted in one of said two peripheral slots for transporting one of said trisected elements to the next succeeding flute on the drum,

a second fluted disk mounted on the other of said two peripheral slots for transporting another of said tri-sected elements to the next preceeding flute on the drum, and

means for driving the drum and the first and second disks.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluted disks protrude partially from the slots in the drum and thus intersect the drum at two spaced locations. 

1. Apparatus for arranging groups of axially aligned elements, which comprises: a drum having a plurality of flutes spaced equally around the periphery thereof and two slots in the periphery thereof, means for feeding multi-length elements to every third flute of said drum, means for tri-secting said multi-length element, a first fluted disk mounted in one of said two peripheral slots for transporting one of said tri-sected elements to the next succeeding flute on the drum, a second fluted disk mounted on the other of said two peripheral slots for transporting another of said tri-sected elements to the next preceeding flute on the drum, and means for driving the drum and the first and second disks.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluted disks protrude partially from the slots in the drum and thus intersect the drum at two spaced locations. 